Knowledge priorities on climate change and water in the Upper Indus Basin: a horizon scanning exercise to identify the top 100 research questions in social and natural sciences

Orr, Andrew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5111-8402; Ahmad, Bashir; Alam, Undala; Appadurai, ArivudaiNambi; Bharucha, Zareen P.; Biemans, Hester; Bolch, Tobias; Chaulagain, Narayan P.; Dhaubanjar, Sanita; Dimri, A.P.; Dixon, Harry ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7415-063X; Fowler, Hayley J.; Gioli, Giovanna; Halvorson, Sarah J.; Hussain, Abid; Jeelani, Ghulam; Kamal, Simi; Khalid, Imran S.; Liu, Shiyin; Lutz, Arthur; Mehra, Meeta K.; Miles, Evan; Momblanch, Andrea; Muccione, Veruska; Mukherji, Aditi; Mustafa, Daanish; Najmuddin, Omaid; Nasimi, Mohammad N.; Nüsser, Marcus; Pandey, Vishnu P.; Parveen, Sitara; Pellicciotti, Francesca; Pollino, Carmel; Potter, Emily; Qazizada, Mohammad R.; Ray, Saon; Romshoo, Shakil; Sarkar, Syamal K.; Sawas, Amiera; Sen, Sumit; Shah, Attaullah; Shah, M. Azeem Ali; Shea, Joseph M.; Sheikh, Ali T.; Shrestha, Arun B.; Tayal, Shresth; Tigala, Snehlata; Virk, Zeeshan T.; Wester, Philippus; Wescoat, James L.. 2022 Knowledge priorities on climate change and water in the Upper Indus Basin: a horizon scanning exercise to identify the top 100 research questions in social and natural sciences. Earth's Future, 10 (4), e2021EF002619. 22, pp. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002619

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Official URL: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.102...

Abstract/Summary

River systems originating from the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) are dominated by runoff from snow and glacier melt and summer monsoonal rainfall. These water resources are highly stressed as huge populations of people living in this region depend on them, including for agriculture, domestic use, and energy production. Projections suggest that the UIB region will be affected by considerable (yet poorly quantified) changes to the seasonality and composition of runoff in the future, which are likely to have considerable impacts on these supplies. Given how directly and indirectly communities and ecosystems are dependent on these resources and the growing pressure on them due to ever-increasing demands, the impacts of climate change pose considerable adaptation challenges. The strong linkages between hydroclimate, cryosphere, water resources, and human activities within the UIB suggest that a multi- and inter-disciplinary research approach integrating the social and natural/environmental sciences is critical for successful adaptation to ongoing and future hydrological and climate change. Here we use a horizon scanning technique to identify the Top 100 questions related to the most pressing knowledge gaps and research priorities in social and natural sciences on climate change and water in the UIB. These questions are on the margins of current thinking and investigation and are clustered into 14 themes, covering three overarching topics of ‘governance, policy, and sustainable solutions’, ‘socioeconomic processes and livelihoods’, and ‘integrated Earth System processes’. Raising awareness of these cutting-edge knowledge gaps and opportunities will hopefully encourage researchers, funding bodies, practitioners, and policy makers to address them.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002619
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Water Resources (Science Area 2017-)
ISSN:	2328-4277
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	Upper Indus Basin, horizon scan, climate change, water, priority questions, knowledge gaps
NORA Subject Terms:	Hydrology Meteorology and Climatology
Date made live:	25 Mar 2022 10:54 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/531935

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002619

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Water Resources (Science Area 2017-)

ISSN:

2328-4277

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

Additional Keywords:

Upper Indus Basin, horizon scan, climate change, water, priority questions, knowledge gaps